How to Build A Pokemon GO Community in Canada

I remember the day I sent the message that changed everything.

I wasn’t sure I was ready to lead. But I had already spent years helping my local Pokémon GO community organizing raids, giving advice, showing up even when no one asked me to. Eventually, I looked back on that trail and realized I wasn’t asking for permission. I was casting a vision.

I pitched what I saw for our future. A Facebook group that could become a hub, not just for gameplay, but for connection. And they said yes.

I’ve thought a lot about that moment lately, especially while talking with community leaders like Shiny King, a Community Ambassador from London, Ontario. Like me, he didn’t need a title to start making a difference. But when the opportunity came, he stepped forward, not because he wanted to be seen, but because he couldn’t ignore the love he felt for the people around him.

Rebuilding From Silence

Before COVID, the community in Shiny King’s city had already started to grow apart. People didn’t make eye contact. If you missed the start of a raid, you were out of luck. “It became almost cliquey,” he recalled. “You know, there’d be those three people who knew each other over there, but they wouldn’t interact with the other three standing across the park.”

He’d already created a Facebook group, but the Ambassador Program gave him a new lens and a new responsibility. “I was like, you know what? I’m gonna go for this.”

He didn’t just show up, he transformed London’s Pokémon GO scene from silence to celebration. His meetups now draw over a hundred players, including newcomers who say things like, “I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”

And for Shiny King, that’s the point. “There’s people who don’t have friends. They don’t have anybody in the neighborhood. This is the only opportunity for them.” So he keeps showing up. Rain or shine. Raid after raid.

A Friend Remembered

For Shiny King, Pokémon GO isn’t just about the game. It’s about memory and love.

When he first picked it up, it was because of his best friend. “We went down to a local park… I put on AR mode and there’s a freaking Squirtle right there,” he laughed. But weeks later, his friend tragically passed away in a car accident.

“I did stop playing for a couple months,” he admitted. “But I was like, I can't stop playing this just because he's gone. If he was still here, we'd still be playing.”

That emotional root grounds everything he builds today. “Sometimes I think, it’d be cool if he was here to see this... to be a part of this.” His leadership is a quiet tribute, an invisible thread tying each new event to a memory that still moves him forward.

Fatherhood, Full Circle

Years ago, Shiny King sold off his Pokémon cards, thinking his Trainer days were over. But life had other plans. When his son discovered the Sun and Moon anime, he lit up. “You wanna learn Pokémon?” he grinned. “Let’s go.”

From learning decks to birthday parties, father and son dove in together. “We have something we’re about to bond over,” he said, remembering the moment with quiet pride. “He didn’t even understand how big that was.”

Now, Pokémon is a shared legacy, a bridge across generations, a language they both speak fluently. “It did mean a lot to me as a dad,” he said simply.

Turning a Park Into a Festival

Leadership isn’t just about showing up. Sometimes, it’s about showing others what’s possible.

For GO Fest 2024, Shiny King didn’t just organize a meetup. He booked Victoria Park, secured city funding, partnered with local businesses, brought in food trucks, and created a full festival experience just for Trainers. “It’s not just me showing up with some free items,” he said. “It’s a whole thing.”

And it’s only the beginning. Next year? He’s planning to go bigger with vendors, community charity projects, even a nonprofit arm to send a lucky player to GO Fest abroad. The scale of his vision is matched only by the depth of his purpose.

Finding Your Why

When I started my podcast, I didn’t know how far it would go. Some days, it still feels bigger than I’m ready for. But I keep returning to my “why.” The reason I said yes to this path in the first place.

For Shiny King, that “why” is found everywhere in the memory of a friend, in the face of a son, in the laughter of Trainers gathering where once there was silence. It’s not about status. It’s about connection.

“You have to love it,” he said. “And once you do, the rest goes with the flow.”

That’s the heart of real leadership. Not how many people follow you, but how many feel like they belong because you chose to lead.

🎧 Listen to the full story here: TRAINER'S EYE #170: Pokemon GO Canada

🌟 Want more inspiring stories from Pokemon community leaders around the world?
Check out the full Community Leaders Playlist and discover how Pokemon continues to bring people together, even across the greatest challenges.